LODI - Kids dig dinosaurs at the World of Wonders Science Museum in Lodi, where dozens of children attended special sessions devoted to paleontology Saturday.

Children learned the basics of paleontology, dug up imitation fossils at the museum's dinosaur excavation site, received T-shirts and enjoyed other activities and exhibits.

Cole Houston, a 7-year-old Lodi boy who attends Vinewood Elementary School, said he especially enjoyed finding a velociraptor claw at the excavation site.

"I'm learning all about dinosaurs, how long ago they died, what fossils are and what a paleontologist does," Cole said.

Victoria Lucero, Houston's mother, said her son visits the museum often and recently learned about dinosaurs in school.

"I thought it would be a good way to add on to what they're learning in class, and, of course, he's a boy, so he likes dirt," she said. "We love to come to the WOW museum. It's one of our favorite places in Lodi. We come down here when the exhibits change. It's safe and fun for him."

WOW exhibit coordinator Jim Pyers said the museum gives children an opportunity to learn more about science than they might at school. He has been building exhibits for the museum since about the time it opened almost four years ago, including much of the excavation site.

"The reason I started into it was because I collected a lot of clippings from newspapers and magazines showing how they're dumbing down science in schools," Pyers said. "Some of these kids are only getting 15 minutes of science. That's not enough. I need someone to figure out Alzheimer's (disease) so I can be saved, figure out baldness or have somebody that is an engineer or a scientist or something."

WOW educational programs coordinator Jen Young said the goal of the third annual paleontology day was to teach children three key terms: paleontologist, fossil and excavation.

"They come away with all three of the terms, and they have a blast," Young said. "We have tons of different floor activities and exhibits, a lot of things for them to play with, and then they get to dig up really cool fossils like a Tyrannosaurus Rex tooth, a megalodon tooth or a velociraptor claw. It's all dinosaur-based, and kids love dinosaurs."